Ask Lafeber

Question:

September 8, 2020

Breeding greys


Can a 20year old male grey still breed at 20


Answer:

Hi Robert,

In general, a 20 year old Grey would be in his prime for breeding. In the wild, they are not mature enough to breed until they are about 7-10 years old. They do mature much more quickly in captivity, but really should not be set up to breed at less than 7 years old. So as long as your bird is healthy, then 20 is not too old. However, if this is a pet, then I wouldn’t recommend breeding unless you plan to lose him as a pet. Birds must bond in order to settle down and breed, and once they bond, they are no longer pets. Some owners try to have it both ways, but the bird ends up very confused and often alternate between attacking you and attacking the mate. They only have one mate at a time, so it creates conflict when you try to handle a breeding bird. Also, just because you get him a female doesn’t mean they will get along or bond as mates. Since they would usually choose a mate, they don’t always like our choice which is one of many reasons why breeding birds is not easy.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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